⭐️⭐️⭐️.⭐️
"Till There Was You" is an impressive debut that leans into romance tropes like insta-love, strangers to lovers, second chance and celebrity/rockstar to normal. The author executes them with skill, delivering an engaging narrative. Though I wish it were spicy 🌶️, that's my type of romance book, the book balances swoon-worthy moments with genuine emotional growth, making it an enjoyable read.

The story follows Lexi Berman, a culinary student with dreams of Michelin stardom, and Jake Taylor, a dive bar musician chasing fame. Jake's sudden exit and their eventual reconnection add a layer of authenticity. Lexi's character is well-developed, grappling with family trauma while striving for personal growth. On the other hand, Jake's character, though lacking depth, offers touching moments that resonate with Lexi and makes it easy to see why she falls for him.

I look forward to the author's growth in future works. Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to explore this ARC!

Bummed because I wanted to love this book based on it sounding right up my alley in terms of preferred genre. Unfortunately I found myself saying “there is no way that happened like that” every other page. Very Hallmark movie kind of cheesy (which is not my cup of tea despite being a sucker for romance). I also struggled to be able to picture any part of the book in my head due to what felt like basic and vanilla descriptions.

I am positive there will be people out there that love this book, unfortunately that is not me.

3.5 Lexi is training to be a chef in NYC and Jake is an up-and-coming musician. Neither one is necessarily looking for love but then their paths cross one night and sparks fly. Life and fame get in the way though and they part ways. When Jake returns, he is desperate to be in Lexi’s life even if just as friends. Can they find their way back to each other, will fame, tabloids and her career get in way? This was an adorable rom com which I enjoyed. It was sweet and felt Hallmark movieish but that’s exactly what I was in the mood for at the time. If you like the strangers to lovers & second chance tropes this one is for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher St. Martin’s Press for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Nine times out of ten I don't go for insta-love, it always feels unearned and shallow, and I think this is one of those books for me. It removes any true need for character connection when they instantly fall for each other, and while their chemistry that first weekend is solid and believable, the rest just didn't convince me. Lust can't be misconstrued for love, it just doesn't work.

I really enjoyed the general vibe of the story, particularly the culinary aspect of Lexi's journey, and I was really disappointed to see the cliche "it's not really my dream" ending for her. The story opened so strong by establishing her connection to cooking, and while the stress was clear from the beginning I can't buy into the way this book ended. It feels like a cheap way to make Jake and Lexi's relationship work and not an authentic ending for her character arc.

Also I am simply not a fan of Jake. I wanted to like him, I love the rockstar aesthetic and that first weekend together was fun to dive into, but his personality is so flat and bland. He's honestly just an asshole, and he was given way too many free passes by Lexi.

Overall I don't think there's anything particularly exciting happening here. The characters feel very cliche and lifeless, the insta love isn't believable, the pop culture references are not making the story quirky and relatable, and the end left me wanting more.

Introducing you to a new favorite of mine- Till There Was You 🥞

It’s equal parts steamy, sweet, and swoony 🫠

I was lol’ing by page 2 and never stopped 😆

Read if you like:
🫐Blueberry pancakes
🎶Harry Styles
🧢Baseball caps
🗽NYC
🕎Jewish rep
📸Celebrity romance
👩‍🍳Chef life
❤️‍🔥Insta lust
🛌Forced proximity
💕2nd chance romance

Thanks to NetGalley for my arc in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed reading this book! It did get a bit too dramatic around the end and ended a little too abruptly, for my taste, but it still made me giddy and smile. I think that’s all I can really ask for.

"Till There Was You" should appeal to romance readers who enjoy culinary protagonists, young adult main characters who act their age (and I do mean young adults, not teens! the couple is 23-24), and second chance romances where both parties involved make believably poor decisions but end up together anyway.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc! Opinions are my own.

Sadly this book wasn't for me. I didn't feel a connection between the main characters and I didn't understand why Lexi was the way she was. I think newer romance readers might like this but the bar is so high in 2023 for real connections in romance and this didn't clear it.

There was so much possibility here and when all was said and done, I just felt underwhelmed.

I can deal with the weekend fling thing, I can actually see this as a basis for their relationship. I literally married my weekend fling, so 🤷

What I can't deal with is Jake repeatedly being an ass and Lexi just shrugging her shoulders. Even if we accept his excuses for ghosting her (he didn't really have one - and all the excuses he gave were just .. lame), that whole show up at work and try to intimidate Ethan thing was such a dick move. Jake even says that once he saw Lexi's face he knew he shouldn't have shown up there, but then continues to single out Ethan and make it known that they're living together.

And Lexi, girl, get out of your own way. You're lucky Jake loves you because OMG. Lexi gets mad at Jake for things outside of his control over and over and over. If I were him I would have been totally annoyed with her behavior. Like, come in girl.

And in that note, I'm not sure how these two people fell in love? The way they met and the chemistry the first weekend, TOTALLY THERE. TOTALLY ON POINT. But after that, it was hit or miss. Sometimes it seemed like they were just two people in the same room and didn't care about each other at all.

And lastly, Lexi really seemed to like her job. She worked all this time for it. The only times she didn't seem to like it was when she was tired or stressed about Jake. But somehow, it's not actually what she wants to do? And Jake calls her out in it? I spent most of this book wondering how they were going to make this relationship work and then it comes down to...she quits her dream because it isn't really her dream after all? Except there's no evidence of that except Jake saying it during a fight and a half hearted mention that it wasn't what she thought it would be. Idk, just doesn't sit well with me.

But honestly, it was a cute read, just a little underdeveloped. It was also an easy read and I flew through it in a couple days.

There are typos/edits needed in pages 78, 195, 244, and 286.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this story do not get me wrong. But it was a very prominent disconnect. I thought the romance (and from what i have seen several others thought it was very insta lovey I believe this book has its audience as it is not a bad book, but sadly that audience is not me.

This was an adorable rom com!
I did have a bit of trouble connecting with the characters at first, because it was an insta•love, which is one trope I do not like 😅

But in the end, it was well written and an enjoyable read!

Till There Was You is a witty, warm, and charming story. It is laugh-out-loud funny, deliciously filled with desire, and heartbreakingly romantic. This captivating novel will not only make you believe in true love but also leave you hungry for more on every page.

What a fun and sweet book this was. If you are looking for a sweet and light book that will feel cozy and make you laugh, make sure you pick this one up. I loved both Lexi and Jake and really enjoyed their journey back to each other.

with gratitude to netgalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

I finished this book in less than three days, and absolutely loved it! The flow of this story was one I was able to follow easily. I haven’t loved any famous singer/normal person stories in a while, but this one changed my mind! I love Lexi and Jake, and how they just instantly clicked from the beginning, and as much as I hate a third-act break-up, I didn’t mind it here! This was a perfect rom-com in my opinion. I loved that in the end, they were just two people chasing their own dreams, and they had to lose themselves in their own dreams to come together again. Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC, in exchange for an honest review.

I was excited to read this story in the beginning because I love a good musican love interest and whenever food gets incorporated into the storyline; for so many reasons, this book should've been right up my alley. Unfortunately, it just wasn't what I was expecting. I left very underwhelmed in the end because of the writing: the bad pacing, the repetitive scenes and occasional dialogue, the very outdated and in bad taste references that were supposed to be jokes. Somehow it seemed rushed when, at the same time, needed filler scenes and sentences (why were there so many outfit descriptions, especially for the characters that only lasted a page?) There were few good parts of Till There Was You, but the issues I had with it outweighs any romcom esque scene between Lexi and Jake.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC! This just wasn't for me.

Till There was you is a well written romance. I enjoyed the plot and character dynamics. I recommend the book.

This was a cute quick read. What I didn't like is that the relationship between Jake and Lexi felt flat. The plot was good and I did like the characters. It was a shame that the ending felt so rushed. It was a fun read though.

The book started off strong and I was invested only to be let down by the predictable twists and turns. She's a culinary school graduate who met a guy on her one night out only to become his muse. He becomes famous .... It had a HEA it was to predictable. I was able to skim the book and had no issue following what was going on 2 stars.



******************************I received an ARC from NetGalley for my honest opinion from NetGalley.*****************

Aspiring chef meets aspiring rock star as each of their careers are beginning. Can they get past the obstacles that come their way? Lexi and Jake are interesting characters. Their career choices are shown as jobs that require hard work. Lexi has family issues to overcome as does Jake. Lexi's friends are a wonderful support team for her. l Basically, this is a great book. The author did a wonderful job with fleshing out this story. The ending was so cute. I loved this! I will be looking for more from this author.

I received an e-arc from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This was so fun. I'm a huge sucker for a culinary fiction with a side of romance and some solid laugh out loud moments. Super cute and engaging read. Just the palette cleanser I was needing lately.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the gifted copy.